Microclimate and Urban Morphology

The new urban expansion towards hot-arid regions has created new settlements in negative microclimatic conditions and intensified the vulnerability of these areas to climate change. Almost half of Jordan’s population resides in hot semi-arid zones, and with future urban growth anticipated in these regions, improving their microclimatic performance is crucial to human comfort and resilience. This research investigates how urban form influences outdoor thermal comfort, focusing on the case of Al-Sharq City in Az Zarqa, Jordan.

In developing countries like Jordan, high-tech interventions are often not feasible. Instead, the study advocates for affordable and locally adapted urban design strategies. The hypothesis is that urban morphology—through street layout, block configuration, and courtyard design—significantly affects microclimatic conditions and thus the physiological comfort of urban dwellers.

Using ENVI-met and RayMan simulations, this study evaluates thermal comfort across different neighborhood typologies, emphasizing courtyard patterns. The findings demonstrate clear differences in thermal performance depending on urban configuration. The research recommends passive solar urban design at the earliest stages of planning and suggests integrating microclimatic simulation tools into planning practices to reduce vulnerability to heat and enhance livability in semi-arid climates.